Distributor



Sept. "3, 19656 J. F. FARNSWORTH ETAL 3,272,551

DISTRIBUTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21,- 1963 s JOHN F FA R/VS W01? TH SOME /?L E D MacDO/VAL D Byj Sept. 13, 1966 J. F. FARNSWORTH ET AL 3,272,561

DISTRIBUTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1963 l/VVEN 70/?5 JOHN E FARNSWORTH, SOME RLE D MacDO/VALD Lu. A/forney United States Patent 3,272,561 DISTRIBUTOR John F. Farnsworth, Pittsburgh, and Somerlcd Mac- Donald, Sewicltley, Pa., assignors to Koppers Company Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 21, 1963, Ser. No. 281,911 6 Claims. (Cl. 30228) This invention relates to a distributor and more particularly to distributors used to distribute particulate material suspended in a gas.

In the transportation and distribution of a pulverulent material such as pulverized coal from a source into the tuyere zone of a 'blast furnace, in order to use one coal feeding device for two or more tuyeres it is necessary to uniformly split the single stream of the pulverized coal and air into a plurality of streams. One method of accomplishing such distribution or splitting was to use a Y-type connection or splitter together with vanes upstream from the splitter to provide for uniform density throughout its cross section. Such splitters had varying degrees of success Where the coal flow-rate was restricted to a limited range of values. Increasing or decreasing the flow rate introduced uneven distribution in such splitters. One great disadvantage of this type of splitter was the increased pressure drop introduced into the system by the restricted line section located above the splitter. Other splitter devices of the prior art materially change the direction of flow of the material, creating undesired eddies and high pressure losses.

The distributor herein disclosed provides apparatus for accurately splitting a fluidized mass such as pulverized coal suspended in a gas medium into separate division for delivery to plural outlets. The distributor has a simplified quadrant type splitter device that is inexpensive to manufacture yet sturdy in construction and design. The quadrant type splitter operates efficiently and minimizes pressure drop in the splitting operation.

It is particularly important to operate a splitter with a low pressure drop when feeding a coal-air stream into a blast furnace. Substantial pressure drops in the splitter, especially at low feed rate, may cause a reverse flow of hot gases from the furnace through the lines. The reverse flow could cause overheating of the lines, coking of any residual coal in the lines with the formation of carbon deposits, and excessive flow of coal to the low pressure lines resulting in a plugging of the lines and an unbalance of the furnace. The quadrant type splitter with its intake conduit means and its coupling permits directional changes in the upstream transport line without affecting the uniform splitting of the coal-air mixture in the splitter. In addition, provision is made in the quadrant type of splitter for adjusting the means for dividing the fluidized mass to more accurately control such division.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved coal splitter which uniformly divides a coalair stream into equal portions with a minimum pressure drop.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel arrangement between the component parts of a coal-air splitter which simplifies the component parts and construction thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel coal splitter which effectively splits the coal-air stream mixture into two equal uniform parts by preliminarily dividing such coal-air stream into four equal uniform parts and thence joining pairs of divided coalair streams into two equal uniform parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a coalair splitter which provides means for adjusting the splitter to thereby increase splitting etficiency.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic showing of apparatus for feeding particulate coal to the tuyere zone of a blast furnace including the novel distributor.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the distributor showing inlet and outlet pipes.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation view of the distributor taken on lines IIIIII of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the distributor.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along lines V-V of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a view in elevation of one of the plates positioned in the distributor casing.

Referring to FIGURE 1 0f the drawings, crushed or pulverized coal is delivered to a storage bin 10 in a conventional manner. A plurality of hopper devices 12 are mounted beneath the storage bin 10 which hopper devices 12 deliver pulverized coal by gravity to coal feeders 14. Compressed air is supplied to all the coal feeders 14 from a suitable supply means through a common header 16. Parallel branch lines 18 connect the common header 16 to the individual coal feeders 14. The respective coal feeders 14 ad mix the coal particles and the compressed air for delivery of the fluidized mass to transfer lines 20 (only one of which is shown). Each individual transfer line 20 transports the fluidized mass to a coal splitter 22 via a quick disconnect coupling 24 and an intake conduit 26. The fluidized mass is then distributed into equal portions for delivery through branch lines 23, 30, 32 and 34 to a pair of common conduits 36 and 38 in a manner to be described. Common conduits 36 and 38 transport the fluidized mass to tuyeres 40 for injection into the tuyere zone of blast furnace 42.

FIGURES 2-6 illustrate in greater detail the coal splitter or distributor 22 which receives the fluidized mass of coal particles and compressed air from intake conduit 26. The coal splitter 22 comprises a cylindrical casing 44 having an upper flanged portion 46 and a lower flanged portion 48. Upper flanged portion 46 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores 50 which are in alignment with a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores 52 on an annular plate member 54. The annular plate 54 is suitably rigidly connected to the flanged portion 46 of casing 44 by bolts 56 extending through the respective bores 56 and 52. Annular plate member 54 is suitably rigidly connected to the intake conduit 26 as by welding to form a connector for conduit 26.

The inner wall of casing 44 has four longitudinally extending slotted recesses 58 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 5) which .are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of casing 44 and arranged in spaced relation to each other. A pair of splitter plates 66 and 62 have their respective side edge portions slidably positioned in the recesses 58 as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

FIGURE 6 shows the splitter plate 62 as generally square in shape having a leading knife edge 64, side edges 66, 68 and a trailing edge 70. A slot 72 in. plate 62 extends from the leading edge 64 toward the trailing edge 70 along a line bisecting plate 62 for one-half the length of the plate 62. The slot 72 has a bottom edge 74. Plate 60 is constructed in a similar manner, so that the respective plates 60 and 62 when assembled have their slots in alignment with the respective bottom edges of the slots abutting each other. The splitter plates 60 and 62 are thus maintained in interfitting relationship with each other. Since the respective recesses 58 are parallel to the axis of the cylindrical casing 44, the interfitting splitter plates 60 and 62 positioned in the slotted recesses 58 align the plates 60 and 62 in planes that the normal to each other.

The lower flanged portion 48 of casing 44 (FIGURE 5) has a plurality 'of circumferentially spaced slots 76 lying equidistant from the central axis of the casing 44.

A circular splitter flow nozzle or plate 78 (FIGURES 3 and 5) abuttingly engages the bottom surface of the lower flanged portion 48. Plate 78 has a plurality of bores 80 (FIGURE 3) for a purpose to be described. As seen in FIGURE 5, plate 78 has four symmetrically arranged openings or nozzles 82a, 82b, 82c and 82d which have converging side walls (FIGURE 3).

The coal splitter 22 has a lower closure member 84 abutting the circular splitter flow nozzle 78. Closure member 84 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores 86 of substantially the same diameter as bores 80 on circular splitter flow nozzle 78 such that aligning bores 86 and 88 with the slots 7 6 of the lower flanged portion 48 and passing a bolt 88 therethrough suitably rigidly connects the closure member 84 and splitter flow nozzle 78 to the casing lower flanged portion 48.

Lower closure member 84 has four symmetrically spaced apertures 98 in alignment with the respective four openings 82a, 82b, 82c and 82a in splitter flow nozzle 78. Die-metrically opposed apertures 90 are connected by conduits 32, 34 and 28, 30 respectively so that conduits 32 and 34 are joined into a common conduit 38 and the conduits 28 and 30 are joined into a second common conduit 30. With this arrangement closure member 84 is fixedly secured to conduits 38, 30, 32 and 34 as by welding or the like to thereby form a fixed support for the casing 44. Thus by disconnecting quick coupling 24 and loosening bolts 88, the casing 44 along with lower flanged portion 48 and splitter plates 68 and 62 may be adjusted angularly relative to the stationary circular splitter flow nozzle 78 to thereby permit the plates 60 and 62 to be rotatably adjusted.

In operation, the pulverized coal is delivered to a storage bin 10 for subsequent delivery to coal feeder 14. The coal feeder 14 admixes the pulverized coal with compressed air delivered thereto by branch lines 18 for delivcry of a fluidized mass to transfer lines 28. The transfer line 20 delivers the fluidized mass to the coal splitter 22. The incoming stream of pulverized coal and air from the intake conduit 26 is uniformly split in the coal splitter 22 by the leading knife edges of the splitter plates 60 and 62 into a uniform coal-air ratio for the separate quadrants. In passing from the top to the bottom of the splitter 22 there is no deflection of the coal-air stream. from its original entering direction, thereby uniformly splitting the coal-air stream irrespective of the cross-sectional distribution -or any prior change in flow conditions affecting upstream turbulence. The respective openings 82 divert the coal-air stream into their respective conduits 28, 30, 32 and 34. Opposed pairs of conduits unite their respective portions of the coal-air stream into their respective common conduits 36 and 38 for delivery of equal portions of the fluidized mass or coal-air stream to their respective tuyeres of the blast furnace 42.

In the event a fine adjustment is needed to obtain better splitting efficiency, the splitter 22 and its associated parts are disconnected from the transfer line 20 via quick disconnect coupling 24. Bolts 88 are loosened, thereby permitting the rotatable adjustment of the cylindrical casing 44, plates 60, 62 and lower flanged portion 48 relative to the circular splitter flow nozzle 78 and the conduits 28, 30, 32 and 34. The adjustment extends through the range of the slotted holes 7 6 in the casing lower flange 48.

:Where a solid fuel injection system utilizing a single feeding device is split into two or more streams to feed fuel to two or more tuyeres, it has been observed that at times there is a difference in pressure between the tuyeres being supplied with fuel from. a common splitter. The common conduits 38 and 36 are so sized and the pressure upstream of the splitter 22 is so maintained that, at desired conveying gas to coal ratios of 0.5 to 3.0 s.c.f. of gas per pound of coal, the differential pressure between the splitter and the ends of the common conduits 38 and 36 at the furnace will always be not less the 0.5 p.s.i. higher than the differential pressure between the tuyeres,

Split, Percent Coal Rate, LbJHr.

East Receiver West Receiver In summary, the invention comprises a cylindrical casing having a single inlet duct connected to one end for delivery of a coal-air mixture thereto. The casing has a pair of bisecting plates that are normal to each other dividing the casing into four quadrants of equal volume. The other end of the casing has an opening for each quadrant, with diametrically opposed openings being connected to common conduits to thereby split the coal-air mixture into two equal flow portions.

It should be understood that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that numerous modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A distributor comprising,

a cylindrical casing wit-h end sections,

said casing having a pair of baflles,

said baflles bisecting each other along the axis of said cylindrical casing dividing said casing into symmetrical channels,

inlet means in one of said end sections,

the center of said inlet means coinciding with said axis,

the other of said end sections having outlet means for each channel, and

means connecting opposite outlet means to a common conduit thereby forming a pair of outlet conduits.

2. A distributor for uniformly splitting a coal-air stream into two separate streams comprising,

a cylindrical casing having a pair of end sections,

a pair of bisecting plates positioned in said casing,

said plates lying in planes normal to each other and bisecting each other on the axis of said cylindrical casing,

said plates dividing said casing into quadrants of equal volume,

inlet means in one of said end sections through which a coal-air stream is introduced into said cylindrical casing,

said plates arranged to divide said first coal-air stream in said cylindrical easing into four substantially equal smaller streams,

the other of said casing end sections having an outlet means for each of said quadrants, and

means connecting opposed outlet means from opposite quadrants to a common conduit to thereby combine two of said smaller coal-air streams into a common stream.

3. A coal distributor for uniformly splitting a coal-air stream into two separate streams comprising,

a single duct at the intake end of a casing,

a plurality of separate outlet ducts at the outlet end of said casing,

the axes of said outlet ducts being substantially parallel to the axis of said inlet duct,

means within said casing for simultaneously splitting the coal-air stream entering said casing through said inlet duct into a plurality of streams for passage through said separate outlet ducts without changing the direction of flow of said coal-air stream,

said means comprising a pair of plates positioned with in said casing and intersecting along a line coinciding with the axis of said single inlet duct,

said plates being normal to each other and arranged in said casing to define symmetrical channels, and

each of said channel-s communicating with a separate one of said outlet ducts.

4. A distributor for uniformly splitting a coal-air stream into two separate streams comprising,

a cylindrical casing having a pair of spaced circular end portions,

said casing having a longitudinally extending axis lying normal to said end portions,

said casing having a pair of partitions intersecting each other along said axis and being normal to each other,

said partitions being cooperative with said casing to define equal volume channels,

conduit means connected to one of said end portions for delivery of said coal-air stream to said channels,

the other of said end portions having an outlet means for each of said channels,

opposed channels being connected to common conduits,

a quick disconnect coupling connected to said conduit means, and

means operatively connecting said casing and said plates to said other end portion for adjusting said casing and said plates relative to said other end portion outlet means.

5. A coal distributor for uniformly splitting a coal-air stream into two separate streams comprising,

a cylindrical casing having a pair of separate circular end portions,

said casing having a central longitudinally extending axls,

the inner Wall of said casing having a plurality of l0n- 'gitudinally extending recesses therein,

said recesses being parallel to said casing longitudinal axis and equidistant from each other,

plate members having vertical side edge portions and a top edge portion,

said plate members mounted in said casing with their respective vertical side edge portions positioned in said recesses,

said plate members bisecting each other on the longitudinal axis of said casing,

said plate members and said casing defining a plurality of channels,

one of said end portions having a circular aperture axially aligned with said casing longitudinal axis,

said plate members top edge portions spaced from said inlet aperture and having a knife edge portion facing said inlet aperture,

said casing other circular end portion having an outlet opening for each of said channels, and

means connecting opposed outlet openings with a common conduit.

6. A coal distributor for uniformly splitting a coal-air stream into two separate streams comprising,

a cylindrical casing having an inner Wall and a longitudinally extending axis,

said casing inner wall having a plurality of longitudinally extending recesses therein,

said recesses being parallel to said casing axis and symmetrically arranged in said casing inner Wall,

a pair of splitter plate members having vertical side edge portions and a top edge portion,

said splitter plate members each having an intermediate longitudinal slotted portion,

said splitter plate members positioned with said slotted portions in overlying relationship so that said splitter plate members bisect each other and extend in planes normal to each other,

said splitter plate members mounted in said casing with their respective vertical side edge portions positioned in said recesses,

said casing with said splitter plate members mounted therein defining a plurality of channels of equal volme,

said casing having annular flanged end portions,

a first closure plate secured to one of said annular flanged end portions and enclosing one end of said casing,

said first closure plate having a central inlet aperture axially aligned with said cylindrical casing,

said splitter plate members top edge portions spaced from said inlet aperture,

a feed conduit connected to said first closure plate and arranged to convey a coal-air stream into said casing,

a second closure plate secured to the other one of said annular flanged end portions and enclosing the other end of said cylindrical casing,

said second closure plate having four symmetrically arranged openings,

said second closure plate having outlet conduits extending from each of said openings,

means joining opposed outlet conduits into a common conduit to form a pair of common outlet conduits,

a splitter flow nozzle positioned between said second closure plate and said other annular flanged end portion,

said splitter flow nozzle having four openings, therein ailgned with said openings in said second closure member,

and means for adjusting said casing and said first closure plate relative to said splitter flow nozzle and said second closure member to change the position of said channels in said casing relative to said openings in said splitter flow nozzle and second closure member to thereby control the distribution of the coal-air stream entering said cylindrical casing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 791,425 5/1905 Johnson 222--478 1,941,471 1/1934 Hardgrove 302-28 2,208,788 7/1940 Courtney 302-28 3,197,305 7/1965 Carlson 42 3,214,266 10/1965 Whaley 75-42 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examinen 

1. A DISTRIBUTOR COMPRISING, A CYLINDRICAL CASING WITH END SECTIONS, SAID CASING HAVING A PAIR OF BAFFLES, SAID BAFFLES BISECTING EACH OTHER ALONG THE AXIS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CASING DIVIDING SAID CASING INTO SYMMETRICAL CHANNELS, INLET MEANS IN ONE OF SAID END SECTIONS, THE CENTER OF SAID INLET MEANS COINCIDING WITH SAID AXIS, THE OTHER OF SAID END SECTIONS HAVING OUTLET MEANS FOR EACH CHANNEL, AND MEANS CONNECTING OPPOSITE OUTLET MEANS TO A COMMON CONDUIT THEREBY FORMING A PAIR OF OUTLET CONDUITS. 